Non-skid tire.



R. 1L KEATON.. v NoN-SKID TIRE. l APPLIUATION FIL-ED IAN. 24, 1910.

979 ,96 1 Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

.urrn seras *PATENT minion.

ROBERT HOMER KEATON, or SAN 'ERANoIscO; CALIFORNIA.

NON-sinn TIRE.

To all whom it may concern: A

Be it. known tha-t. I, ROBERT Homin KnA'roN,.-citizen of they United States, residing vin the city and `county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Non-Skid Tires,

of which the following is a- 'speciiicationf My invention relates to tires, and pertains especially to rubber tires for auton'1obiles and the like.

The especial object of the invention is to provide an anti-skidding tire simple in construction and durable and effective inservice.

There are various anti-skidding tires and devices attached to tires, on the market. which arevmore or less objectionable; The principal objection is that lthey are expensive, and usually consist :of small studs or projections on the'tread of the tire, which projections not only tend to tear up the roadway, but they soon wear olf and fail to do what,l is intended .of them.- -Also, most of these projections being small, present only a small resistant. or tractive face or area.

I have devised a tire, and on theA tread portion of it have-arranged a system of intersecting grooves which provide for a, series of triangular skid-preventing members, which members are substantially flush with the"`peripheryof the tire, so that a good bearing surface is afl"o`rded-;'a`nd"'the walls of these members are so arranged as to overcome the tendency of the wheel to skid or to slip when acting 4a's'a tractor.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combina-tion of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a cross-section ofa tireembodying the invention. Figs. 2, 8, 4 and 5 are plan views o-f various forms of my improved tread. y

A is a tire or the outside casing of anv o rdinary automobile .wheel The outer circumferencein the line of the tread and for a distance of approximately au inch and a half more or less on. each side of the center line of the tire, is checked olf by a series of grooves or depressions to form a continuous series of triangular, or substantially triangular, projections 2; these projections usually being arranged in pairs, either opposed to each other, 'as shown inv Fig. 1, or arranged.

Specification of Letters Patent." Patented Dec, 27, 1910, Application filed January 24,

1910. serial No. 539,655.

in staggered relation, as shown in Figs. 2v

and 3.

As shown in Fig. 1, there is a central circumferentlal groove 3, and each palrof triangular projections 2 is arranged with the molds, and by means lof pressure forcing the rubber toffiow out into'the depressions in the mold, thus getting the desired protuberances, which latter form the so-called antiskidding means.

By my method, and as I have practiced it, I make my tread without any molds, as I simply fashion strips or pieces of metal, fabric, or other suitable material into the desired shape corresponding to the grooves 3 4. and place them on the raw rubber tread after it is on the tire. Then When'the tire is wrapped before vulcanizing, the said pieces or strips are pressed into the soft raw rubber and remain there until the same'A is vulcanized. On later being removed, the lines or figures due to the grooves 3-.4 are formed in the tire, as desired.

The essential features of my invention are the triangular shape of the portions 2 and their arrangement in conjunction with the groove' 3A which separates the bases. of the triangles.

It is to be noted that the vcircumferential groove 3 is interrupted at intervals by the -solidconnecting portion 5 disposed between the triangular portions 2.

The triangular portions 2 preferably have their sides an inch or more in length` so that the three sides of every triangular piece Awill offer a' substantial area either to resist side slip or to assist in forward traction. The

side walls constituting the legs of these triangular pieces, Which side walls are formed by the intersecting grooves 4, present an area to resist side slip substantially. equal to the vlength of the base; and one wall of the grooves 3 forms the base of an opposed projection 2, and also assists in resisting side slip.. l

In going forward or backward' each pair of, projectlons 2 has two inclined faces to 'flush with 'the periphery o a'l in'traction, and twowalls of a pair of inclinedgrooves4 coupled with the straight connecting piece 5 vto assist toward the same end... These triangular rejections -2 yare i) the tire, and they are of such substantial area that experience shows that this tire of mine has a godsolid tread, besides possessing the anti-skidding and tractive advantages mentioned.

IFigs. 2,?3 and 4 simply show modlfica-v tion's of the saine idea of using triangular anti-skid lportions or projections flash-With the tire and formed by I depressions or grooves in -the tire; the only diiiference being, in -Figs. 2, 3' and 4, that the 'projections are arranged staggered, but with the bases of these projections extending substantially parallel 'with the circumferential lineof thetire..

In all cases I produce my vangular'antiskid members by means ofv one or more more or 1leS's interrupted circumferential v grooves 3 and'laterally-extending intersect.-y

ing grooves 4; the Walls of these various projections were formed ,above or grooves offering thene'cessary resistance to. and the walls lnsurmg' 1. Alf improved 'tire having a tread por# l tion with' a central circumferential groove, said tire having triangular portionsat each side ofthe groove with outer faces substantire to form ot outwardly and -said groove, and the legs of the triangles beingseparated from tially flush with lthat of the tire, the bases 4of opposite triangles being parallel and spaced Vfrom each4 other and forming the Walls of said groove, and the oppositely extending le s of the triangles separated from correspon ing ort-ions of the body of the 1er grooves which converge connect at the outer angles of the triangles,

tral groove said the tire and the walls ofeach of said grooves being\square to prevent side slipping and to increa thetrctive effect.

2. Animproved tire having a tread por-4 While the inner ends of the last-named grooves intersect the said cen-A grooves being molded into tion witlr a central circumferential groove, said tire having triangular portions arranged in staggered relation at each side of the groove with outer faces substantially flush4 with that fy the tire, the bases 'of the opposite triangles being from each otherI and forming the Walls of oppositely extending `corresponding* portions of the body of the tire .to form other grooves whichl converge outwardly and connect vat the outer angles of the triangles, While the inner ends of the tral groove, said central andoutwardly converging grooves being molded into the tire and the Walls of each of said crease the tractive effect.

n testimony `whereof-I have' hereunto set my handln the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Witnesses:

R. D. SWENEY, W. O. 'VALLMEIL parallel and spaced grooves being' 4square to prevent side slipping and to 1nlast-named ,grooves intersect the said cenf 

